Childhood Demons
by abiholmes97
Summary: A face from the past shows up to haunt Jessica and the life she's built with her mother and newly discovered father.
11-23-14

21:00

The doorbell rang, loud and shrill. I looked at mom and mom looked at Dave. We weren't expecting anyone. Dave put his finger to his mouth and shushed us. He then picked up his gun from his bedside table. He crept silently out of the room and mom followed him with her gun. I sat-absolutely silent- in the middle of the bed. I heard mom say to Dave, "Its Jason!" and my heart froze. Jason is my mom's ex, my father. When I was 7 he began to abuse me for no apparent reason. He used to hit me and lock me in my "room" (it was basically a small dusty room, with a blanket and pillow on the floor- Amber got my old room) and starve me. I was terrified. What was he doing here? What did he want? He left us almost ten years ago.

The front door opened.

"What do you want, Jason?" asked Mom, coldly.

"What's he doing here?" Spat Jason, presumably to Dave.

"I live here." Dave replied.

"Does Jessica know who you are to her?" asked Jason, panic evident in his voice.

"Yes, I told her. Now what do you want?" Mom asked again, coldly.

Then there was commotion.

It sounded like Jason had stormed in and was trying to get upstairs.

I jumped off the bed and curled into a ball under the bed, like I used to so when I was a kid, whenever Jason and Mom started fighting.

"DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT I SAID WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TOLD HER?" yelled Jason.

"You can't threaten me anymore Jason. My kids are all grown up!" replied mom, terrified.

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

I froze, not daring to breath.

"Jess?" asked Dave, coming into the room.

I didn't reply.

Dave's footsteps stopped right beside the bed. Then he crouched down and peered under the bed.

"Jessie, its Dave. Do you want to come out for me?"

I shook my head, edging tighter into the corner.

"Jessie, come on. It's me! David Rossi."

"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled, terrified.

"Jess, I'm not going anywhere. I want you to know that you are safe. I'm here." He replied calmly.

"GO AWAY JASON, LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! I DON'T WANT YOU IN MY ROOM!" I yelled, my mind thinking I was a kid again.

"Jessie, I'm not Jason. You're safe!"

I shook my head, violently, going deeper and deeper into the wall.

Dave sighed. All his years of profiling wasn't going to help him here.

21:20

Downstairs, mom and Jason were still fighting.

"I still have rights. I practically raised that bastard while pretty boy Dave was busy becoming a millionaire and sleeping with every whore available!" Jason was yelling. "Why did you choose him Erin, he'll just break your heart when some young, skinny whore walks into his life!"

"He loves me Jason. He loves me like you never did. He loves my kids…"

"OUR KIDS!" Jason interrupted.

"My kids, you walked out on them!"

"CAUSE YOU CHEATED ON ME ERIN! THAT'S WHY!"

"I DON'T CARE WHY YOU DID IT. ALL I CARE IS THAT YOU LEFT ME!"

"I loved you. Much more than you loved me."

"I know."

"Did you ever love me, or was it player boy Rossi?"

"Get out of my house Jason!"

"Answer my question!"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" yelled Mom, slamming the door in his face.

Mom stared crying.

Upstairs, Dave got up and went downstairs.

I was still hunched up in my ball under the bed.

"Bella?" asked Dave (Bella is beautiful in Italian and it has been Dave's nickname for Mom for 33 years)

"In here, Dave!" called Mom from the living room.

"Oh, mia bella!" cried Dave. Mom began sobbing even harder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!" cried mom.

"Hey, Erin, you have nothing to be sorry for. Jason is a jerk. You're in a safe place now, a better place. With a family who love you, worship you, adore you. You are strong, Erin Strauss. That's why I love you. I love you so much."

"I know, I love you too Dave."

"But right now, as much as I need you, there is a little girl upstairs who really needs her mother to let her know how much she is loved and that she is in a safe place. Cause I think she doubts that know and the trauma of her childhood has muddled her sense of reality."

"What do you mean?" asked mom, worried.

"Jessie has hidden under our bed and is refusing to come out. She thinks she's seven and that Jason is in her room. Hell, she thought I was the bastard!"

"Oh, Dave, I'm sorry!" said Mom standing up.

"Hey, I don't blame the kid. There are something in my life I wish I could forget."

21:30

Mom and Dave came into the bedroom.

I screamed.

Mom sighed. "Can you wait downstairs, Dave? At least until I've calmed her down."

"Of course, bella!" and he left.

Mom got down on her stomach and looked at me.

"Jessie, its mom." She said gently. "Are you ok?"

I shook my head.

"Do you want to come out, so we can chat about it?"

I shook my head again.

"Can you tell me why?" asked Mom, gently. She wasn't mad at me.

"Jason." I whispered.

"What about him, honey?"

"He's here!"

Mom smiled. "No he's gone now, Jessie. You're safe."

I blinked. "He's… He's gone?" I asked slowly.

"Yes, Jessie. Can you come out for me?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Slowly, I stretched out my legs and crawled out to her. Mom pulled me into a big hug and I began to cry.

"Shh, Jessie, its ok. He's gone. He can't hurt you."

"Oh mom!" I cried into her shoulder. "I was so scared!"

"I know you were baby, I know."

I pulled away to look at her.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Yes, honey?" she replied, wiping my cheek.

"Do you think Dave will make some of his hot cocoa?"

Mom laughed. "I'm sure he will, Jessie, I'm sure he will!" and she hugged me again.

22:00

"Here we go!" said Dave, holding 3 steaming mugs of cocoa. "David Rossi's famous hot cocoa for his two favourite girls!"

I laughed, climbing into the bed next to mom. He handed me a mug and mom a mug and climbed in next to me.

"Drink up, kiddo!"

We sat and drank the cocoa, until my eyelids began to grow heavy and the mug slipped out of my grip.

"I think it's time for bed, kiddo." Said Dave, kindly.

"Can I sleep here? With you two?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

Mom smiled, taking my cup. "Of course you can."

"Dave?" I asked, as I snuggled under the duvet.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"Oh, you don't need to apologise to me, kiddo."

I smiled.

"I love you dad!" I said shutting my eyes.

Dad gasped. "I love you too, mia bambina." He whispered, stroking my hair, a single tear running down his face.

THE END

11-23-14

21:00

The doorbell rang, loud and shrill. I looked at mom and mom looked at Dave. We weren't expecting anyone. Dave put his finger to his mouth and shushed us. He then picked up his gun from his bedside table. He crept silently out of the room and mom followed him with her gun. I sat-absolutely silent- in the middle of the bed. I heard mom say to Dave, "Its Jason!" and my heart froze. Jason is my mom's ex, my father. When I was 7 he began to abuse me for no apparent reason. He used to hit me and lock me in my "room" (it was basically a small dusty room, with a blanket and pillow on the floor- Amber got my old room) and starve me. I was terrified. What was he doing here? What did he want? He left us almost ten years ago.

The front door opened.

"What do you want, Jason?" asked Mom, coldly.

"What's he doing here?" Spat Jason, presumably to Dave.

"I live here." Dave replied.

"Does Jessica know who you are to her?" asked Jason, panic evident in his voice.

"Yes, I told her. Now what do you want?" Mom asked again, coldly.

Then there was commotion.

It sounded like Jason had stormed in and was trying to get upstairs.

I jumped off the bed and curled into a ball under the bed, like I used to so when I was a kid, whenever Jason and Mom started fighting.

"DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT I SAID WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TOLD HER?" yelled Jason.

"You can't threaten me anymore Jason. My kids are all grown up!" replied mom, terrified.

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

I froze, not daring to breath.

"Jess?" asked Dave, coming into the room.

I didn't reply.

Dave's footsteps stopped right beside the bed. Then he crouched down and peered under the bed.

"Jessie, its Dave. Do you want to come out for me?"

I shook my head, edging tighter into the corner.

"Jessie, come on. It's me! David Rossi."

"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled, terrified.

"Jess, I'm not going anywhere. I want you to know that you are safe. I'm here." He replied calmly.

"GO AWAY JASON, LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! I DON'T WANT YOU IN MY ROOM!" I yelled, my mind thinking I was a kid again.

"Jessie, I'm not Jason. You're safe!"

I shook my head, violently, going deeper and deeper into the wall.

Dave sighed. All his years of profiling wasn't going to help him here.

21:20

Downstairs, mom and Jason were still fighting.

"I still have rights. I practically raised that bastard while pretty boy Dave was busy becoming a millionaire and sleeping with every whore available!" Jason was yelling. "Why did you choose him Erin, he'll just break your heart when some young, skinny whore walks into his life!"

"He loves me Jason. He loves me like you never did. He loves my kids…"

"OUR KIDS!" Jason interrupted.

"My kids, you walked out on them!"

"CAUSE YOU CHEATED ON ME ERIN! THAT'S WHY!"

"I DON'T CARE WHY YOU DID IT. ALL I CARE IS THAT YOU LEFT ME!"

"I loved you. Much more than you loved me."

"I know."

"Did you ever love me, or was it player boy Rossi?"

"Get out of my house Jason!"

"Answer my question!"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" yelled Mom, slamming the door in his face.

Mom stared crying.

Upstairs, Dave got up and went downstairs.

I was still hunched up in my ball under the bed.

"Bella?" asked Dave (Bella is beautiful in Italian and it has been Dave's nickname for Mom for 33 years)

"In here, Dave!" called Mom from the living room.

"Oh, mia bella!" cried Dave. Mom began sobbing even harder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!" cried mom.

"Hey, Erin, you have nothing to be sorry for. Jason is a jerk. You're in a safe place now, a better place. With a family who love you, worship you, adore you. You are strong, Erin Strauss. That's why I love you. I love you so much."

"I know, I love you too Dave."

"But right now, as much as I need you, there is a little girl upstairs who really needs her mother to let her know how much she is loved and that she is in a safe place. Cause I think she doubts that know and the trauma of her childhood has muddled her sense of reality."

"What do you mean?" asked mom, worried.

"Jessie has hidden under our bed and is refusing to come out. She thinks she's seven and that Jason is in her room. Hell, she thought I was the bastard!"

"Oh, Dave, I'm sorry!" said Mom standing up.

"Hey, I don't blame the kid. There are something in my life I wish I could forget."

21:30

Mom and Dave came into the bedroom.

I screamed.

Mom sighed. "Can you wait downstairs, Dave? At least until I've calmed her down."

"Of course, bella!" and he left.

Mom got down on her stomach and looked at me.

"Jessie, its mom." She said gently. "Are you ok?"

I shook my head.

"Do you want to come out, so we can chat about it?"

I shook my head again.

"Can you tell me why?" asked Mom, gently. She wasn't mad at me.

"Jason." I whispered.

"What about him, honey?"

"He's here!"

Mom smiled. "No he's gone now, Jessie. You're safe."

I blinked. "He's… He's gone?" I asked slowly.

"Yes, Jessie. Can you come out for me?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Slowly, I stretched out my legs and crawled out to her. Mom pulled me into a big hug and I began to cry.

"Shh, Jessie, its ok. He's gone. He can't hurt you."

"Oh mom!" I cried into her shoulder. "I was so scared!"

"I know you were baby, I know."

I pulled away to look at her.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Yes, honey?" she replied, wiping my cheek.

"Do you think Dave will make some of his hot cocoa?"

Mom laughed. "I'm sure he will, Jessie, I'm sure he will!" and she hugged me again.

22:00

"Here we go!" said Dave, holding 3 steaming mugs of cocoa. "David Rossi's famous hot cocoa for his two favourite girls!"

I laughed, climbing into the bed next to mom. He handed me a mug and mom a mug and climbed in next to me.

"Drink up, kiddo!"

We sat and drank the cocoa, until my eyelids began to grow heavy and the mug slipped out of my grip.

"I think it's time for bed, kiddo." Said Dave, kindly.

"Can I sleep here? With you two?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

Mom smiled, taking my cup. "Of course you can."

"Dave?" I asked, as I snuggled under the duvet.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"Oh, you don't need to apologise to me, kiddo."

I smiled.

"I love you dad!" I said shutting my eyes.

Dad gasped. "I love you too, mia bambina." He whispered, stroking my hair, a single tear running down his face.

THE END


End file.
